ABSTRACT
The introduction provides an overview of theories of state surveillance, intelligence, and their applications. It talks about theories of surveillance by Michel Foucault, Theda Skocpol, Christopher Dandeker, and others. After briefly reviewing the literature, the introduction presents the argument that state surveillance in Britain and France was not conducted by a single centralized, top-down organization but by multiple agencies with overlapping, often contradictory prerogatives. The introduction then explains the fundamental precursors that influenced the agencies, policymakers’ attitudes, and eventual policy during World War I. It concludes by emphasizing the essentiality of transnational history in explaining the development of surveillance practices in these two countries.
